Ghana needs strong cultural institutions to counter negative influences – Director

The country’s leaders have been asked to position the nation’s cultural institutions, to counteract negative foreign cultures and galvanize the people towards national development.

Mr Emmanuel Quao, Volta Regional Director of the Centre for National Culture (CNC), who made the call, said “The best avenues that help to speak directly to our developmental agenda is best communicated through our various artistic forms”.

The Regional Director of the CNC, who made the observation at the recently held “Jubilee First Oil Exhibition” in Ho, said one of the errors “unusual about our nation is the lack and neglect of infrastructure that goes to support our culture and heritage industry.”

Mr Quao said except for the Central and Ashanti Regions, construction of the remaining Regional Centres of Culture have been in limbo, one for as long as 47 years.

He said the Volta Region’s Centre started in 1990 and scheduled to be completed in 2010, was only 59 per cent complete and expressed the hoped that it would be completed early to help revitalize artistic and social activities the Region.

Mr Quao said local television series such as ‘Osofo’ ‘Dadzie’, ‘Obra’ and ‘Concert party’ were few good examples of what music, drama, dance and visual arts and others could do “to address everyday socio-cultural challenges”.

He said the attraction of negative foreign cultures to the youths of the country called for a swift challenge spearheaded by well resourced local cultural institutions.

Source: GNA